Pronunciation & spelling

ABC in Dutch
About sounds in Dutch
Vowels
Consonants

 

ABC in Dutch

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Remarks:

• Please note that the Dutch 'a', 'e' and 'i' are pronouncedquite different from the English way ...

• The 'y' is a bit confusing in Dutch. The sound we use whenspelling 'y' is the way 'ei' and 'ij' are pronounced in words like 'tijd'and 'leiden'(sounds the same as 'lijden'). The 'y' in 'imported' wordslike 'gymnastiek' or 'cylinder' is the same sound as the Dutch 'i'or 'ie' in 'real Dutch' words. That's why, in the 'Sounds in Dutch' below here, you'll find the 'y' words under 'i' and 'ie'.

• When spelling words in Dutch, it is common to mention 'y' as'Griekse y', 'ij' as 'lange ij' and 'ei' as 'korte ei'.

About sounds in Dutch

• Vowels are represented by the way they are usualy written. The sound written as 'a', for example, represents the sound of the dark and short version of this vowel (like in man)and 'aa' represents the clear and longer version (like in maan). Nevertheless the 'aa' sound is written as a singel a when it stands at the end of a word or syllable (like in ma-nen). This works for all vowels except the e at theend of a word (see ':' for the pronounciation of a single e).
  To make this as clear as possible, I write it like this:
  • 'a' - this is the representation of the sound
  • ('aa': ...) means that sometimes a singel [a] is pronounced as 'aa'
  • [a] - means that sometimes the sound 'aa' is written as a single a

• To prevent the dark/short version of a vowel (like man) from arriving at the end of a syllable (especially in plurals), the consonant that follows mostly has to be doubled. So the plural of man is not manen (syllables would be ma-nen, so the a would become a clear/long sound) but mannen (syllables are man-nen).

• ':' represents the sound that is normally represented byan upside down 'e' - I don't know how to get that one on myscreen yet.

• The !-lines contain some extra remarks about spelling.

Vowels

'a'	de man - de mannen ik stap - wij stappen
('aa': de manen, ik versta)'aa'	de maan - [a] de manen ik laat - [a] wij laten[a] ik versta

'e'	het bed - de beddenik zet - wij zetten('ee': de benen)(':' de)

'ee'	neehet been - [e] de benenik weet - [e] wij weten

'i'	dit de pit - de pittenik bid - wij bidden[y] gymnastiek('ie' - Arabisch)(':' - aardig)('j': waaien)

'ie'	niethet dier - de dierenik bied - wij bieden[y](ie: xylofoon )(i: de taxi, automatisch)

'o'	de zon - de zonnenik stop - wij stoppen

'oo'	de zoon - [o] de zonenik koop - [o] wij kopen

'u'	de mug - de muggenik kus - wij kussen

'uu'	de muur - [u] de murenik stuur - [u] wij sturen

':'	[e] de - je - ze - we - dame[e][ij] gemakkelijk[i] aardig

'ij/ei'	de dijk - de dijken de lijst - de lijstende eishet ijsik rijd - wij rijden(':': gevaarlijk)

'oe'	de boer - de boeren ik zoek - wij zoeken! [oo] and [u] are never pronounced as 'oe'[w] de stuw

'au/ou'	de vrouw - de vrouwen de paus - de pausenrouwrauwik houd - wij bouwen

'eu'	de deuk - de deuken ik leun - wij leunen('ee'+'u': in latin words like museum)

'ui'	de tuin - de tuinen ik ruik - wij ruiken[y]('i': gymnastiek)('ie': xylofoon)

'...w	'de eeuw - de eeuwen nieuwik duw - wij duwen

Consonants

'b'	ik benwij hebben('p': ik heb)[c]	('s': citroen)('k': capabel)! for [ch] see 'g'
'd'	de damede handenwij hadden('t': de hand)
'f'	de fietsde stoffen! ik graaf - wij graven (see 'v')
'g' 'ch'  de graafik lach - wij lachenik leg - wij leggen('-': Arabisch - see 's')('zj': collage)
'h'	hallobehalve
'j'	jajammer[i] waaien
'k'	ik komwij hakken[c] Claudia
'l'	het liedde ballen
'm'	de melodiewij stemmen
'n'	neede plannen('ng' de bank)
'ng'	het ding - de dingen[n] de link
'p'	de plaatswij kloppen[b] ik schrob[q]('k'+'w': quasi)
'r'	het raamde karren
's'	de stoepwij lossen! - at the end of a word: [sch] Arabisch! het huis - de huizen
't'	de theewij letten[d] de raad
'v'	het veewij geven! ik leef - wij leven: [v] becomes [f] at the end of a word or syllable, or before a consonant.
'w'	watde wiskunde! - at the end of a word, close to 'oe': de leeuw

[x]('k'+'s': extra)('s'+'s': Texel)
'z'	de zeezes! ik lees - wij lezen: [z] becomes [s] at the end of a word or syllable, or before a consonant.
'zj' [g] de ballotage